Goals set by the client:

Choose colours and projects to encourage exploration and experiments.

Curate a limited set of 5 Illustrator markers and 1 fine liner.

Introduce buyers to basic markers techniques using 3 simple projects as examples.

based on Design brief

Deliverables

Colour selection

3 outlines

1 on pack illustration

How-to content, basic hints and tips

Concept phase

This Discovery kit had to satisfy the client’s goals as well as appeal to the target audience. No matter how well the product fits the brief, it’s a failure unless customers are eager to buy it. So I aimed at finding the perfect blend of client’s requirements and buyer’s desires.

I started by asking myself a series of questions.

Who is the target audience of this product?

How can this product be appealing to the buyer?

How can this product be as satisfying as possible to the buyer?

Which themes appeal to the target audience?

What makes a balanced art kit with markers?

Then one by one, I researched these issues to find answers and create a solid foundation for this project.

Who is the target audience of this product?

It is a beginner artist or crafter who wants to try a new art material and needs guidance to start. This kit can be the first time ever the buyer tries out markers, or they already have a limited experience with this art material. Spectrum Noir’s audience is predominantly female, though not exclusively. The age varies considerably, so the kit should be comprehensive for a teen to use and engaging enough for people over 30.

That’s where the first challenge came from:

provide a fun experience for the buyer despite the limitations of the kit

How can this product be appealing to the buyer?

The research started with finding out what the target audience was already attracted to. According to the client, bright colours are sold the best. So the kit should reflect that. However, it could not include only primary colours, as creatives are likely to already have them. The offer had to be unique colourwise.

Here came another challenge:

find a unique colour story with vibrant colours

How can this product be as satisfying as possible to the buyer?

As consumers, we get the highest level of satisfaction when our expectations are exceeded. So a buyer should get much more out of the kit than they expect.

The expectation was to get 5 colours. One way to exceed that was to create a range of new hues from the original 5. The more colours the buyer can make, the higher is the level of satisfaction.

It led me to the next challenge:

select such 5 colours that create a harmonious palette and create a wide range of new hues when mixed

Another way to satisfy a creative is to provide a visually appealing product. Everything from the colour selection to the pack-front illustration and all the components inside should be eye-catching.

So the challenge arose to

create a visually appealing colour palette and imagery

Which themes appeal to the target audience?

Flowers and food are the most common themes beginner artists attempt to work on. As a result, many introductory courses to markers feature these two topics. The reason is they allow even a novice to create impressive artworks. They also leave room for growth and experimentation as both themes can go from decorative and stylised to highly detailed and realistic. It means even if someone isn’t a complete novice, they can still enjoy these themes.

The challenge here was to

find exciting drawing subjects suitable for creatives of different ages and varying levels of experience

What makes a balanced art kit with markers?

To work well, an art kit should fit the following criteria:

• Creative doesn’t need any extra supplies to make a beautiful artwork, only what is included inside the kit.

• 3 tones are present for: highlights, mid tones and shadows.

• User learns something new while working with the kit without external resources.

It resulted in two challenges to:

provide a tonal range within 5 markers of different colours

teach new techniques with a limited palette and concise teaching materials

Challenges that arose from the goals and research:

• Provide a fun experience for the buyer despite the limitations of the kit

• Find a unique colour story with vibrant colours

• Select 5 colours that create a harmonious palette and, when mixed, create a wide range of new hues

• Create a visually appealing colour palette and imagery

• Find exciting drawing subjects suitable for creatives of different ages and varying levels of experience

• Provide a tonal range within 5 markers of different colours

• Teach new techniques with a limited palette and concise teaching materials

Experiment phase

After learning more about the target audience, its preferences and needs, and understanding what challenges came out of that, I focused on finding a solution to fit all the criteria.

The experiment phase was focused on colour selection.

At the core lay an idea of transformation, meaning that colours change considerably when mixed. Vivid colours were a starting point due to customers' clear preference for them.

The first pair of selected colours were bright yellow and blue. Together they create lush green. They also work well as a trio.

Next, I chose begonia pink for its active colour. It turns blue into purple and yellow into red. Other pinks that I tried didn't have such a pronounced effect of altering colours.

After I settled on the original 3 colours, I looked for other hues to address the tonal diversity. Selected yellow and blue are light, as is the green they create together. Begonia pink belongs to mid-range, so only dark tones for shadows were missing. To address that, I added deep sea green and deep orange. They extend the range of mid tones and help to create darker hues. Together with begonia, the green hue produces a dark greyish purple, which is good for shadows. Another dark tone comes from a mixture of orange and deep green.

Solution phase

5 colours were chosen that satisfy these criteria:

• Create a harmonious palette and, when mixed, create a wide range of new hues

• Make a unique colour story with vibrant colours

• Include 3 tones

After the art supplies for the kit were chosen, it was time to focus on the best way to present them. It led me to another set of questions.

Which examples will show these colours the best way possible?

Which artwork should be chosen for the pack front illustration?

What should a kit user learn?

Which examples will show these colours the best way possible?

The criteria here were to find such examples that:

• Use all 5 markers in one artwork

• Provide a variety of colouring options 

• Encourage exploration and colour mixing

With the two previously selected themes in mind (flowers and food), I looked at the variety of flowers and settled on tulips. Tulips come in all possible hues, that's why they make an ideal subject to explore and experiment with colours.

Next, I looked at foods that also come in a variety of colours. Macarons were a great fit: joyful and vibrant, they can be any colour imaginable, allowing experimentation with minimal restrictions.

Both of these artwork subjects tie back to the goal: encourage exploration and experiments. Besides, they make for a simple projects as was required.

With the third artwork, I wanted to explore the diversity of subjects even further and show buyers that they didn't have to limit themselves. I went with a teacup accompanied by lemon slices and mint leaves. Though lemons and mint are apparent when it comes to colours, a cup leaves room for interpretation. It can be colourful or transparent with yellow-green tea inside. 

I chose these three examples to show how different the artworks can be despite the same 5 markers. Besides, it gave creatives a choice of what to try. These 3 line arts were intended as an introduction into markers, the first building block.

What should be chosen for the pack front illustration?

The pack imagery had an additional requirement:

"with the pack imagery, we, of course, want it to be achievable with the product in the kit. At the same time, and as important, it needs to look as inspirational as possible."

– Spectrum Noir

My solution was to create a detailed version of tulips and to show the texture of every petal. 5 colours sound very limiting, but here they make the whole range of hues. By using lines, dots, and hatching, I've added a lot of details that inspire viewers to look closer and examine the artwork. The level of detail also pushes the boundary of what people assume is possible to achieve with only 5 markers.

What should a kit user learn?

The how-to component was focused on teaching basic marker techniques and served as an introduction to the material.

At the core was colour mixing technique. The diagram I created for the booklet shows which colours can be mixed and the results you'll get. So I devoted all the instructional materials to one technique that buyers are encouraged to explore using provided line arts.

Outcome

Over the course of 1,5 months, I went through the whole marker kit creation process with the client.

We went from the idea of an educational product to a prototype ready to be produced. I relied on the client's knowledge and understanding of their target audience while they trusted my expertise as a marker artist and colour expert. Together, we created a well-received product, currently sold in 34 countries, both online and in stores.

The educational component made creatives excited to try out the new kit and improve their marker skills. Satisfied buyers reached out to me, sharing their positive experiences.

The product's financial success made the client willing to pursue educational direction further by investing in the now successful show Crafter's TV.

Non-affiliate link: Discovery kit. Illustration